During the COVID-19 pandemic, liquor stores have been deemed an essential business.  Research reveals “alcohol sales for the past three months have grown 27 percent,” according to CNN.

In fact “off-premise sales of spirits have risen 32 percent, while wine sales have increased 26 percent and beer sales are up 17 percent over the same period in 2019,” according to Wine Business.

Our boutique NYC PR firm understands that liquor promotion requires an integrated marketing campaign – media relations, cause-related marketing, social media, tastings (social distancing and virtual tastings) – to educate first-time and repeat customers about the unique look, mouth feel, flavor and notes of different spices.

Here are our tips for liquor marketing to build momentum and stimulate sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cause-Related Marketing Program
Cause-related marketing programs are a very effective way for companies to support worthwhile charitable events and elevate the profile for their brands.  During these critical times, many live events have gone online providing liquor companies with digital engagements – media relations, social media, online banner ads, email marketing and e-newsletters -- to expand a brands reach. 

It is important to position liquor companies as good corporate citizens who advocate responsible drinking and who give back to their communities to help market and sell their beer, wines and spirits.
 
Media Relations
Media relations is still a highly effective tool for generate brand and consumer awareness through timely and topical press releases and pitch ideas. 

It is a real testament to the quality of your brand when influential journalists spotlight wine, spirit and beer in print, broadcast and online media outlets.  Reporters can educate consumers about the mouth feel, character, flavor, and hidden notes of different spices as it compares with other liquor brands and extol the benefits of selecting one brand over another brand.

Third-party endorsements for influential wine and spirits media are invaluable for moving the needle with your brand.  Also, easy to follow cocktail recipes will also enhance your chances for editorial coverage in the media.

Mixologist
It is important to have a skilled mixologist on staff to develop creative cocktails recipes targeted for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, engagements and weddings, Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.  Recipes prove invaluable to drive sales for premium spirits.

Depending on a client’s budget, mixologist can prove to be influential brand ambassadors for television segments as they demonstrate how to create the easy to prepare cocktails featuring our client’s spirits.

Our wine and spirits public professionals are advocates for MAT releases featuring easy to prepare recipes to increase first time consumers to sample the wine and spirit.
 
Virtual Tastings
Tastings are key for building loyal customers for our clients’ wine, beer and premium spirit.  During the era of COVID-19, virtual tastings have provided an alternative experience to build loyal followers.  Virtual tastings do require a bit of advanced planning to ensure the wine and spirits arrive at your customers home prior to any virtual tastings.
 
Social Media Outreach
It is vital for liquor companies post frequently on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to inform loyal fans about new cocktail recipes, upcoming promotions, limited time offers, holiday gift ideas, and new products rolling out across the country.

Liquor companies have been resilient during these critical times.  Our boutique NYC PR firm is here to help.  Give us a call.

By Joanna Allen, chief executive officer, Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

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​Let’s face it, we all have to eat and drink.  During this COVID-19 pandemic, at home consumption for purchases at grocery stories has prospered as people have been forced to stay at home.  

Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique travel, food and beverage public relations agency, stays abreast of industry trends to launch a new product or reinvigorate an established brand. Here’s our recipe for success to help our food and beverage clients break through the clutter and capture their share of mouth and share of wealth.

Media relations is a cost effective marketing tool to generate generates credible third-party earned media and builds brand and consumer awareness. ­­­­­It is important to send food and beverage writers, bloggers and influencers product samples so they can sample the products first hand and feature it in their media outlet.

Depending on the client’s budget, our skilled food and beverage public relations professionals recommend a MAT release, also known as a camera ready article, syndicated to newspapers across the country. The MAT Release has expanded to reach consumers through 30 to 60 radio and television spots.  Although it is a sponsored editorial content, the MAT release is quite effective to raise consumer awareness and stimulate sales for a new or established product.   

Food Trade Associations
Our team is a huge advocate for the Specialty Food Association (SFA), a membership based trade association for more than 3,500 food and beverage artisans, importers, and entrepreneurs.  The SFA makes connections for new, emerging and established food and beverage companies with buyers and distributors to expand the product into retail stores, airports and hotels.

This non-profit has played an influential role in making Choubani and other brands household names. 

During this COVID-19 pandemic, many food trade associations and shows are offering virtual expos to raise awareness for the new or established product through 20-minte interactive sessions. 

Email Marketing

Dedicated emails to a targeted group of influential decision makers can also help to generate brand and consumer awareness food and beverage product.  Our team often curates opportunities through trade shows to extend our clients reach and introduce their products to new customers.

Email marketing is quite effective because you can track to open rate, click through, as well as obtain information about individuals who opt in or opt out for a particular email campaign.  Often, the email marketing campaign includes hyperlinks drive traffic back to your client’s website.

Blogs

For clients with a shoe string budget, blogs are effective to increase our client’s visibility in online searches.  It is really important to integrate client’s branded SEO keywords into the blog and to post two or three times a week to increase your clients’ visibility with online searches and stimulate sales.

Display Advertising

Whether a client has a small, medium or large budget, display advertising can help to raise awareness for a new product.  It is a pay per click advertising service.  Your client simply sets the budget spend and you can increase and decrease the budget during the month long campaign.

To truly maximize the display advertising, it is important to know your client’s branded SEO keywords to help you reach first-time and repeat customers and drive traffic back to your website to facilitate a discovery and our purchase for the product.

Retargeting Advertising

For clients’ who have customers who are already visiting their website, retargeting advertising can present a dedicated ad to individuals who are already surfing your website.  Retargeting advertising is quite effective for keeping a visitor engaged since it will direct them to content of interest to them on the website.

Cause-Related Marketing positions a food and beverage company as a good corporate citizen by having a percentage of sales donated to support a particular 501 © charitable cause.  It is a win win situation for both the small, mid-size and multi-national organizations 1) sell a product, 2) raise funds a worthwhile charities and 3) to position the company as dedicated to supporting philanthropy.

The food industry has been a huge supporter for causes such as Share Our Strength, Food Bank, No Kid Hunger and Feeding America to do their part to eliminate hunger in America.

Our talented team of skilled travel, food and beverage public relations professionals can help food and beverage companies break through the clutter and capture their share of market and share of wealth.

We are here to help. Give us a call.

​By Joanna Allen, chief executive officer, Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.
 

The novel corona virus, aka COVID-19, pandemic has taken the food, beverage and hospitality industries by storm.  The devastating impact from the stay at home orders and the take-out and delivery service is yet to be seen as many restaurants struggle to stay afloat.

At home food and beverage consumption has exploded during the last couple of months as we have been forced to shelter in place to combat the COVID-19.  Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a travel, food and beverage and lifestyle PR agency, stays abreast of key trends to help our clients’ breakthrough the clutter in the food and beverage industry. 

Here’s what’s trending in the food industry.

Plant Based Products
As more consumers adopt a healthier lifestyle, plant based food products will continue to grow in popularity in 2020.  Flexitarians, a semi-vegetarian who adheres to a diet of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and occasionally eats meat, have seen an explosion of plant based breakfast, lunch and dinner options on the menu at many fast food establishments across the country.

Many companies are developing innovative plant based flavors – avocado, pumpkin, watermelon seed, and mung bean to tantalize the taste buds of the discerning flexitarian.

And, in keeping with the plant based food trend, some butchers and meat brands are now offering blended burgers – “75 percent meat and 25 percent plant based products (wheat, mushroom, barley yeast and water)” according to Whole Foods.

Pea Milk, a Plant-Based Milk Alternative
Pea milk, is the latest plant based milk, to provide an alternative to traditional milk from a cow, almond, soy and oat milk.  “Research from Nielsen has found that plant-based milk category is up 3.1 percent from last year, while cow’s milk sales are down five percent during the same period” according to Whole Foods.

Pea milk is an excellent source of protein, low in calories, available in unsweetened, sweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavors.  It is a good alternative to consumers with dairy, soy and nut allergies.

Shared Commercial Kitchens
Ghost kitchens are simply share kitchens with multiple restaurants and caterers using a commercial space at different times to save money and run their food business at the fraction of the cost.  The ghost kitchens are extremely relevant especially during this COVID-19 pandemic when many restaurants have been operating with take-out and delivery service.

Mocktails and Low Alcohol Beverages
Millennials and Gen Zers are drinking less because of health consciousness and social media culture,” according to Mintel.  In fact, mocktails have been providing a non-alcoholic cocktail in a party setting to social butterflies since the 2000s. 

Piquette, a low alcoholic bubbly, is gaining traction since it is made from “a second pressing and fermentation of grapes used in traditionally in wine-making and almost tastes like hard kombucha” according to the Food Network.  Other popular low alcoholic beverages include botanical infused beverages, and alt gin, just to name a couple of options.

There Are New Flours on the Market
As many people have been sheltering in place, consumers around the world have had the time to explore and experiment to find fine tune their cooking and baking skills.
Flour traditionally has been made by “grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts and seeds,” according to Wikipedia.  Many bakers are aware about the all-purpose, wheat, gluten-free flours on the market.

New flavors such as “teff flour (Ethiopian injera), cauliflower and fruit and vegetable flours such as banana and coconut” are exploding on the market as more people bake and experiment at home.  (Whole Foods)

Our travel, food and lifestyle PR professionals are skilled story tellers to help our clients’
capture their share of wealth and share of market in the industry.

We are here to help.  Give us a call.

​By Joanna Allen, chief executive officer, Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.